The present disclosure relates to a separator having a rotatable drum with a vertical axis of rotation, in which a plate stack is arranged. The separator includes a piston slide for the opening and closing of solids discharge openings in the drum. In an opened condition of the piston slide, a radial gap is formed between the drum 2, or a top part of the drum, and the piston slide.
In the case of separators of this type, which have piston slides, there is the need to reduce the occurrence of erosive phenomena in the area of the solids discharge openings, particularly evacuation slots, and to minimize the effect of the depositing of contaminations in this area.
Separators with piston slides are illustrated in German Patent Documents DE 38 03 762 A1, DE 102 20 757 A1, DE 44 36 459 C2 and U.S. Pat. No. 5,916,083. Separators with nozzle openings are illustrated in German Patent Document DE 195 27 039 C1 and U.S. Patent Document US 290060,239.
The present disclosure addresses the above-referenced needs.
The present disclosure relates to a separator that includes a rotatable drum having a drum top part, a vertical axis of rotation and a disk stack arranged therein. Also included is a piston slide for opening and closing solids discharge openings in the drum. A radial gap is formed between the drum top part and the piston slide in an open condition of the piston slide. Also included is at least one annular chamber located on both sides of the radial gap in front of the solids discharge openings in an outer circumference area of the piston slide and the drum top part.
Accordingly, as noted above, at least one annular chamber is constructed on both sides of the gap, radially in front of the solids discharge openings in the outer circumference area of the piston slide and the drum top part.
It may be that two radially successive annular chambers are constructed in the piston slide and in the top part of the drum. The two annular chambers are constructed symmetrically with respect to the contact surface of the piston slide on the top part of the drum in the closed condition. Specifically, this construction causes considerably optimized flow conditions in the area of the discharge openings.
The two annular chambers in the closed condition of the piston slide are constructed symmetrically with respect to the contact surface of the piston slide on the top part of the drum.
A radially interior annular chamber of the annular chambers is constructed as a fanning-out chamber for an exiting stream of solid matter.
A radially exterior annular chamber of the annular chambers is constructed as a swirl chamber for the exiting stream of solid matter.
The present disclosure relates to the flow conditions in the area in front of the solids discharge openings in a simple manner by an optimization of the geometry in the piston solid and drum elements, particularly the top part of the drum, which are connected in front of the solids discharge openings. This results in a corresponding treatment of these elements but not in additional expenditures of material. The separator of the present disclosure can be implemented in a simple manner and minimizes not only the effect of the erosive phenomena in the area of the solids discharge openings but also reduces the tendency to form deposits. The separator according to the present disclosure contributes to a high operative readiness of the separator and to a reduction of the necessity of cleaning operations, particularly if two annular chambers are provided which follow one another radially and are connected by way of a bottleneck.
Other aspects of the present disclosure will become apparent from the following descriptions when considered in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.